Kaitlyn Anderson Closes Book On 4-H Career With Back-To-Back Wins

Brodey Flagle Another Repeat Winner During '09 Owen Heifer Show

by Travis Curry SEW Editor

Kaitlyn Anderson (left) and Autumn Vaughn, both ten-year 4-H members, were honored during Wednesday's Owen County Fair 4-H Beef Show as the 2009 Herdsman Award winners. Kaitlyn also walked away with the second annual Jim Rice Memorial Beef Award. (Staff Photo by Travis Curry) After earlier grand champion steer wins in 2005 and 2008, Kaitlyn Anderson returned to the fairgrounds' covered show arena for one final time Wednesday, capping a memorable 10- year 4-H career with another win in the Owen County Fair Beef Show.

Kaitlyn, using a pink-colored show stick to ensure her 1,215-pound crossbred "Ozzie" was in just the right position to catch the eye of show judge Cline Jenson of Greencastle, moved her success record up another full notch by winning grand champion steer and reserve grand champion heifer honors in the 2009 show.

Coming out on top of the six-steer grand champion drive was a storybook ending for the 18-year-old daughter of Mike and Nanette Edwards of Spencer, who had earlier shared the spotlight with fellow 10-year 4-Her Autumn Vaughn when the two were honored as the 2009 Beef Herdsman Award winners.

Owen County Fair Queen Shelby Melton speaks with beef show judge Cline Jenson of Greencastle during Wednesday night's round of advanced showmanship that pitted 16-year-old Samantha McHugh (left) against ten-year 4-Her Kaitlyn Anderson, with McHugh coming away with top honors for 2009. (Staff Photo by Travis Curry) Reserve grand champion steer honors for 2009 went to a 1,245-pound crossbred shown by nine-year Freedomaires 4-H Club member Kyle Jackson, 17, son of Marty and Tracy Jackson of Freedom.

The win only added to Jackson's already successful year, which included winning a grand championship in Sunday's Owen County Fair Market Beef Show and finishing as the reserve grand champion in a field of 11 competitors in Wednesday's round of senior showmanship.

Moving into the night's Owen County Born and Raised steer competition, 15-year-old Tyler Schenck, son of Brad and Katie Schenck of Patricksburg, took top honors with a 1,200-pound Maine-Anjou bred by the Schenck family's Suburban Home Farms.

For the third straight year the Owen County 4-H Fair Dairy Show grand champion dairy title went to Todd Hopkins, an eight-year member of the Crazy Clovers 4-H Club, for his 16-monthold Guernsey named "Emily." Todd, 16, also won the afternoon's round of advanced dairy showmanship. (Staff Photo by Travis Curry) Reserve grand champion in the Owen County class went to Autumn Vaughn, 15, daughter of David and Lisa Vaughn, with a 1,310-pound Angus, raised on the Vaughn family farm on Freeman Road south of Spencer.

In the heifer competition, a total of 16 entries - five advanced to the grand champion heifer drive - were judged, with the grand champion nod going to a 1,200-pound crossbred shown by 16-year-old Brodey Flagle.

With the win, Brodey not only successfully defended his 2008 grand champion crown, but added to his growing list of beef show wins that include grand champion banners in 2002 as a firstyear 4-Her, and two years later when he returned to the winner's circle with a 1,260-pound Shorthorn named "Stitch."

The top award in advanced beef showmanship went to Samantha McHugh, 16, a sevenyear member of the Harrison Hotshots 4-H Club and daughter of Jim and Melanie McHugh of Spencer. (Staff Photo) Wednesday's reserve grand champion heifer banner went to another crossbred, a 1,145 pounder named "Harriet" shown by Kaitlyn Anderson (get it... Ozzie and Harriet).

As a result of her reserve championship, Kaitlyn's heifer also captured top honors in the Owen County Born and Raised division, with the 2009 Jim Rice Memorial Beef Award winner's heifer coming from stock raised by Edwards Show Cattle.

Reserve grand champion in the Owen County class went to Tyler Schenck, with a Simmental spring yearling heifer born in April on the family's Suburban Home Farms.

The Rate-of Gain steer championship went to 14-year-old Sean Scully, son of David and Doris Scully of Spencer, whose 1,275-pound Maine-Anjou gained an average of 3.42 pounds per day.

Reserve Rate-of-Gain champion was Kyle Jackson, whose black and white faced crossbred gained an average of 3.21 pounds per day.

Brody Flagle, 16, successfully defended his 2008 title by exhibiting the grand champion heifer in Wednesday afternoon's Owen County Fair 4-H Beef Show. Brody is shown above with his dad, Scott Thompson, and 2009 Miss Owen County Fair Queen Shelby Melton. (Staff Photo by Travis Curry) The final portion of the nearly four-hour show, which ended about 8:00 p.m., involved three classes of beef showmanship.

The winner in the junior division for 2009 was nine-year-old Kara Schafer, a first-year member of the Fantastic 4-Hers and a daughter of Ken and Rhonda Schafer of Spencer.

Senior showmanship honors went to Brodey Flagle, a member of the Harrison Hotshots 4-H Club and son of Scott and Belinda Thompson of Spencer.

The top award in advanced showmanship went to Samantha McHugh, 16, a seven-year member of the Harrison Hotshots 4-H Club who returned to the showmanship spotlight just one year after earning top honors in the senior division. She is the daughter of Jim and Melanie McHugh of Spencer.

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Prior to the beef show, two siblings took part in the 2009 Owen County 4-H Fair Dairy Show, with Todd Hopkins, son of Ron and Marci Hopkins of Gosport, earning his third straight grand champion dairy title with a 16-month-old Guernsey named "Emily."

After capturing grand champion honors in Sunday's Owen County Fair 4-H Market Beef Show, 17-year-old Kyle Jackson of Freedom returned to the fairgrounds' covered show arena with his 1,245-pound crossbred Wednesday and walked away with reserve grand champion honors in both the show's steer competition and senior round of showmanship. (Staff Photo by Travis Curry) The final portion of the dairy show involved one class of showmanship, with Todd once again squaring off against his older sister, Staci, though this time coming out on top against the veteran 10-year 4-Her.

Staci, 18, closed out her 4-H career by earning the title of reserve grand champion dairy heifer with her Brown Swiss entry named "Peaches."

Today, Friday, the 4-H judging schedule will be highlighted by the Round Robin Showmanship competition beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the covered show arena.

The grand champion steer at Wednesday's Owen County 4-H Fair was exhibited by Kaitlyn Anderson. Kaitlyn, a ten-year member of the Crazy Clovers 4-H Club, is shown with 2009 Miss Owen County Fair Queen Second Runner-Up Shelby Kays. (Staff Photo) Other scheduled events include the mini 4-H horse show at 1:30 p.m. in the horse arena, the 4-H horse and pony fun event at 2:00 p.m., the annual livestock auction at 6:00 p.m. in the covered show arena, and the Quad Racers of Indiana, the night's featured main arena event at 8:00 p.m.

The winner in the junior beef showmanship division for 2009 was nine-year-old Kara Schafer, a first-year member of the Fantastic 4-Hers and a daughter of Ken and Rhonda Scafer of Spencer. (Staff Photo)